Reeling device for kinetoscope films



June 17, 1924.

D. D. SWEM ET AL REELING DEVICE FOR KINETOSCOPE FILMS Filed March 18. 1920 2/ {NVENTOR um A ORNEY Patented June 17, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,498,133 PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL D. SWEM AND THOMAS J. MORGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS TO UTILITIES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01 VIRGINIA.

BEELING DEVICE FOR KINETOSCOPE FILMS.

Application filed March 18, 1920. Serial No. 366,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL D. SWEM and THOMAS J. MORGAN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in

the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reeling Devices for Kinetoscope Films, of which the following is a specification.

The resent invention relates in general to win ing reels, and more particularly to devices for reeling large quantities of strips of material, and has special reference to the provision of an improved device for reelmg up the photographic film employed in motion picture projection.

Withm our experience, the types of reeling devices available at the present time for reeling the film referred to preparatory to exhibiting upon the screen the series of pictures carried thereby, and for re-reeling the film after it has been displayed, are open to the objections that not only is it in ractice awkward and difficult to fix the on of the film strip in position on the reel, but also, owing to the shar edges of such film strip, the hands of t e operator of the projection machine are often injured in implacing the end of the film stri upon the hub of the reel and in fixing it t ereto.

The principal objects of our invention, therefore, are the provision of a reelin device characterized by the rovision 0 improved means for the rea y attachment of the film to the winding reel; the provision of an improved connector element for attachin and detachin the film strip to the reel-hii b; form of connector element of the character 4 referred to which per se may be readily detached from the reel for replacement or repair; the provision of an improved and simplified form of reel construction which is not only adapted for securely holding the 4 film strip in position but is inexpensive in manufacture and unlikely to become out of order; to ether with such further and additional ob ects as may hereinafter appear.

In attainin the objects referred to and gaining certain benefits and advantages to be below more fully pointed out, we have provided a construction which is illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an th provision of an improved Figure 2 is a plan view of the deviceof Fi ure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a detail of thestructure of Figure 1, with the sides of the reeling device of such figure removed, such view being partly in vertical section;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the device of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged front elevational View of a part of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device of Figure 5, taken on the line 6--6 of such figure; and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the device of Figure 5 taken on the line 7-7 of such figure.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, it will be observed that we have here illustrated a reeling device including a pair of strip retaining sides, 10, connected by a hub, 11, having a housing or spindle, 12, for the shaft (not shown) supporting the reel structure, and further havin a socket, 13, for the reception of a key for retaining the reel on the shaft, and also arranged for the support of a connector member 14:.

On examination of Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, it will be noted that the hub, 11, may be formed of a single piece of material given a substantially cylindrical contour throughout the major portion of its periphery but drawn in towards the center, to form such housing or spindle, 12, and further to form an expanded socket, 15, for the reception of a pin, 16, carryin one end of the connector member 14. l he sides, 17 and 18, of the inwardly drawn portion are spaced, apart sufiiciently to form the socket, 13, for the reception of the key which,

holds the reel on the supporting shaft upon which the reel rides, and are also spaced apart as indicated at 19'and 20 to allow the ready introduction of the lower end of the connector member 14.

If, as we prefer, the hub just described is formed of a single strip of sheet metal it may be scanned at some convenient point such as that indicated at 21 and the outer margins of such hub, 11, may be provided with ears, 22, passing through registering apertures in the reel sides, 10, 10, for assembling and retaining the parts of the device in esired relation. In order to prevent distortion of the shaft housing, 12, and adjacent portions, we prefer to employ a split ring, 23, applied under expansion to the housing or spindle 12.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 to 7 of the drawing, it will be ob-' served that the connector member, 14, should be formed of a piece of flexible material which will accommodate itself to the contour of the hub 11. This material may be a strip of fabric, or, if it be desired that the connector, 14, straighten itself out positively in order to roject beyond the margin of the sides of t e reel, as indicated in Figure 1, the connector, 14, may-include a portion of resilient material, such as a stri of celluloid or the like, such procedure ein specially desirable in cases where it is pre erred not to place reliance upon avity to bring the connector into a position where it is easily accessible at the margin of the reel.

As means for attaching the end of the film strip to the connector member, 14, we find it convenient to employ a double clip, .24, which may be formed out of a strip of s ring steel bent reflexibly upon itself as indicated at 25 and 26, to provide a spring clip on each side of the device, the intermediate portion, 27, being embraced by folds of the fabric, celluloid or other material of the body of the connector member, 14, and a portion of such fold projecting beyond the clip, 24, as indicated at 28, to provi e means for graspin the clip, 24, in attaching the end of the 1m strip.

On examination of Figures 1 and 2, it will be understood that while the film strips referred to are relatively narrow, the sides of the reel have to be large in order to accommodate the relatively great length of the strips ordinarily employed in motion picture projection, and that consequently it has been difficult promptly and efliciently to enga e the end of the film with the hub of the ree ing device even though the sides, 10, be cut away as indicated at 10. In devices embodying our present improvement, however,

the connector, 14, may be readily grasped and the end of'the film strip inserted between one of the clip members, 25 and 26, and the adjacent portlon of-the connector, without danger to thehands of the projection machine operator throu h forcible contact with the margins of the 1% ther be apparent that in the event of need for withdrawal of the connector, 14, from the hub, 11, for the purpose of replacement or repair, this may readily be affected by turning back the ears, 22, and sliding the v connector, 14, off the pin, 16, or the pin, 16,

lm strip. It will fur may be withdrawn for the replacement or repair of the connector 14.

Having thus described our invention and illustrated its use, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A reeling device, comprising, in combination, a pair ofsides, a hub, and means for connectmg a strip of material to said hub, said hub being formed of a piece of sheet metal having an external periphery upon which material may be wound and a 1portion drawn inwardly to form a shaft onsingand an auxiliary housing embracing said first mentioned housing and adapted to prevent the sides of said inwardly drawn portion from separation and thereby distort mg the contour of the hub.

2. A reeling device, com rising, in combination, a pair of sides, a ub, and means for connecting a strip of material to said hub, said hub being formed of a piece of sheet metal havin an external periphery upon which materlal may be wound and a portion drawn inwardl to form a shaft ousing, said inwardly rawn portion being also provided with means for the attachment of a strip of material to be reeled up.

3. A reeling device, comprisin in combination, a pair of sides, a hub, an means for connectin a strip of material to said hub, said hub eing formed of a piece of sheet metal having an external periphery uponwhich material may be wound and a portion drawn inwardly to form a shaft housing, said inwardly drawn portion being also pro vided with means for the reception of a key.

4. A reeling device, comprising, in com- .bination, a pair of sides, a hub, and means for connectmg a strip of material to said hub, said hub being formed of a piece of .sheet meta-l having an external periphery upon which material may be wound and a ortion drawn inwardly to form a shaft ousing, said inwardly drawn portion being widened intermediate said wide periphery and said housing. x

5. A reeling device, comprising in combination, a air of sides, a hub, and means for connecting a strip of material to said hub, saidhub being formed of'a piece of' an external periphery sheet metal having upon which materlal may be wound and a portion drawn inwardly to form a shaft housing said external periphery of the hub and the sides bein formed with co-operatin projections ant l apertures whereby said hi) and sides may be assembled and held in predetermined relation.

' In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names..

DANIEL D. SWEM. THOMAS J. MORGAN. 

